Do You Send Wedding Invitations to the Bridal Party?

There are a number of people who have probably been helping you out with all the wedding planning for the entire process. Parents and the bridal party most likely already know all the details about the date and location of your wedding, so do you need to send them an invitation? With the advice of some experts we will answer the common question here.

Do You Send Wedding Invitations to the Bridal Party?

While it can make sense to skip out on sending your bridal party and other VIPs an invitation, it is not something you want to do. Although it would mean less work for you, the proper etiquette is to send everyone who is invited to the wedding an invitation. Even if they are close friends, parents, other relatives, or a part of the bridal party, they deserve an invitation. Some just like to have the invitation as a keepsake; some brides have even sent themselves an invitation to include in their bridal scrapbook! A good rule of thumb to follow is if they received a save the date, they should also get an invitation. It can be incredibly impolite to send the save the date and not have invitations follow.

More FAQs About Sending Wedding Invitations

Aside from the bridal party, they may be a few other scenarios where you may be questioning who else should you or should you not send an invitation to?

Sending wedding invitations to just the reception or ceremony?

If you are planning on having a small ceremony where not all the guests will be invited, do you send wedding invitations to the bridal party and the rest of the guest about the ceremony? While everyone will get the same invitation, you want to exclude any mention of the ceremony from all invitations. You do want to include an additional slip of paper requesting the guests you want at the ceremony to attend both the ceremony and reception.

Can we send invitations stating the wedding is for adults only?

You want to avoid stating that certain guests are not invited, like the children. That is not polite. Instead, you can just include the additional information that you are happy to help find a babysitter for children. It can also be a good idea to call parents prior to sending the invitation to let them know about the situation.

What about sending invitations to teenagers?

This is one question where the etiquette is a little more lenient. While there is no set age that clarifies whether you will want to invite teenagers to the wedding, especially if children are not invited, there are a few things to consider. The cut off age is up to you, but keep in mind that older teens can be resentful for being treated like a child by not being able to attend the wedding.

Do we have to send invitations to people who invited us to their wedding?

If your friendship with the person has faded since their wedding, then it is not necessary to invite them to yours. If, however, their wedding was recent or you are still close with them, then you should send them an invitation. It is also understandable to leave them off the guest list if you are planning a much smaller wedding, but you want to make sure this is clear among your guests to avoid any hurt feelings.

How do we send wedding invitation with plus ones?

Depending on the length of your guest list, you might not want to have every guest be able to bring a plus one to the reception. Although it is a courtesy that most married, engaged or long term couples are allowed to bring a date, it is not necessary for all guests. Then do you send wedding invitations to the bridal party with a plus one? You should consider all they are doing for you.

Should we send out late invitations if we are getting back a lot of no's?

When you find yourself getting back a number of declines for your reception, you might be tempted to invite those guests you had to cut from the initial list, but this can be a little rude. You can try to avoid this situation by sending out the first round of invites well in advance and then the second round if you see you have more free space than anticipated.

We are only sending invitations to family members, so who should get an announcement?

Wedding announcements allow you to let those close to you hear the exciting news from you. While you can send your announcements to anyone you want to, ensure that it does not include anything about accepting gifts, since those that have not been invited to the wedding should not be expected to send gifts.

We sent out invitations but want to un-invite some guests?

Some guest will let the ugly shine through with their criticizing of the choices being made for your wedding and while it can be tempting to un-invite these negative guests from the wedding, it is strongly suggested you refrain from doing so. Un-inviting guests can lead to even more headache. Instead, respond to their negativity in a more positive tone, don't let them get the best of you. If they are just not close to you, well, just don't invite them.

Do we have to send invitations to those who have already sent us gifts?

"Do you send wedding invitations to the bridal party?" seems to be a much easier question to answer than this one. In a sense, you do not have to invite people who have sent you a gift, but you will want to try to gain a better understanding of how this will make the person feel.

Do we have to send a wedding invitation to all our colleagues?

Your wedding day should include all the people you want to be there and this is not always going to be everyone at the office. The only exception to this may be inviting your boss. If you work closely with your boss on a regular basis, then for political reasons, you will want to send them an invitation.